As January begins to make its way into our lives, we find ourselves looking for a “fresh start.” Whether it’s adjusting to a healthier lifestyle or just looking to check off a new task each day, the new year is a time to reflect on your past and grow (for the better) in the future.
If you’re looking to add a new book to your reading list this year, we suggest taking a look at Wolves and Women! Told in prose by actor Alex Loren (formerly Alex DeMartino), the narrative follows the story of a young woman who decides to move to the city in pursuit of a career in entertainment.
As she has some success, the city itself brings upon a whole new set of adversities. Loren uses classic fairy tale tropes and mythological references in order to compartmentalize and cope with the trauma of heartache and the harshness of the entertainment industry; a world that the 28-year-old is no stranger to.
“Upon graduation, I was dead set on making it as an actor. The arts had always made me feel alive and like I had a voice— but upon moving to Los Angeles, I realized that in some ways, you truly do not have a voice at all — that your career is basically entirely dependent on Yes’s and No’s from different people in higher up positions. Therefore it became a privilege to make art professionally,” Alex shares. “With the constant stress of competition and staying relevant within the industry, it was enough to force me into a very unhealthy and even toxic romantic relationship that mirrored just that which I think my main character also gets herself into on a much grander scale.”
You may recognize Alex from Niki and Gabi DeMartino‘s YouTube videos, Instagram posts, and even Gabi’s Blood Queens, as she’s the older sister of the Pennsylvania-bred Internet stars. Loren has always had a passion for the arts… upon obtaining her degree from Gettysburg College for English and Theatre Arts, Alex moved to Los Angeles where she received some success being cast as a series regular in a project. Her journey inspired her to write a book about a millennial navigating the world an entertainment, which is a field that many have misconceptions about.
“I still can’t believe that I even wrote it. I would write little blurbs on like napkins and such when I had something on my mind— and then over time I had like a large amount. Before I knew it, I had a book! I sometimes feel as though I blacked out and then boom! There was Wolves and Women,” she says.
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Celeb Secrets sits down with Alex to learn more about Wolves and Women, its creative process and the challenges she faced while making it and its overall message she wants readers to take from it. She also gives CS fans advice on taking that “leap” to pursue a career in entertainment.
Keep scrolling to read the full Q&A below and don’t forget to let us know what you think of Wolves and Women by either leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
You can purchase Wolves and Women here and follow Alex on Instagram at @alex_loren.
Celeb Secrets: Congrats on the release of your first-ever book! How does it feel to be a published author?
Alex Loren: “Thank you so much! Yeah it’s absolutely wild— I still can’t believe that I even wrote it. I would write little blurbs on like napkins and such when I had something on my mind— and then over time I had like a large amount. Before I knew it, I had a book! I sometimes feel as though I blacked out and then boom! There was Wolves and Women. It’s the strangest thing, but apparently it’s pretty common for writers to not remember writing their books.”
CS: For people that haven’t read your book yet, can you give us a rundown on what it’s about/what the reader can expect from it?
AL: “Contrary to popular belief, it is a narrative that just so happens to be told in prose. Most poetry books that I’ve read over the years kind of float around from topic to topic which I also love, but mine personally follows a story. It focuses on a young woman who decides to move to the city in pursuit of a career in entertainment. As she finds some success, the city itself brings upon a whole new set of adversities. She sort of uses fantasy and fairy tale tropes as a way to cope with the rejection and trauma she encounters. Basically the speaker struggles to stay true to herself in an industry that encourages her to create a facade in order to succeed.”
CS: We know that the concept is about a young woman pursuing a career in entertainment and moving to a different city. We know that you lived in LA for sometime to pursue your own career in entertainment, so would you say that the storyline is somewhat based on your experience?
AL: “While not entirely, I would definitely say so. I was set on one track my entire life of getting good grades and getting into a good college which I did, but after graduating I was dead-set on making it as an actor. The arts had always made me feel alive and like I had a voice— but upon moving to Los Angeles, I realized that in some ways, you truly do not have a voice at all— that your career is basically entirely dependent on Yes’s and No’s from different people in higher up positions. Therefore it became a privilege to make art professionally. With the constant stress of competition and staying relevant within the industry, it was enough to force me into a very unhealthy and even toxic romantic relationship that mirrored just that which I think my main character also gets herself into on a much grander scale. You should never be with someone that makes their affection a game and something that you must earn. You should run from things that make you feel unworthy.”
CS: We love the fairytale tropes and mythological references throughout the story! Was that a personal touch that you wanted to add? If so, why?
AL: “Yes! So growing up, I was obsessed with fairy tales and mythology. I loved hearing these stories but noticed that most of them have problematic roles and even final resolutions for their women. Since fairy tales shaped a lot of who I am, my main character sometimes consciously and even unconsciously uses them as a way to validate and question her own experiences and struggles both professionally and romantically. It seems to be a way she copes with her trauma.”
CS: Were there any challenges while writing the book? If so, how did you overcome them?
AL: “The challenges for me came more so from deciding whether or not I even wanted to publish this. It was such a labor of love that it felt weird putting it out there as it’s not something I’ve ever done before… its a different kind of vulnerability writing something than it is to act as a character in someone else’s work. I also stopped worrying about how the audience would receive it. Once I released it into the world, I had to make the conscious decision that it no longer belonged to me, that other people’s opinions on it were fair game and I could not feel any type of way about it. Also, I am the QUEEN of rewriting my work and editing. I think I had about twenty drafts.”
CS: What advice would you give to any woman who wants to take that leap and pursue entertainment full-time?
AL: “The advice I would give her is not to forget where she came from and to not diminish her own successes. There is this sense of urgency within the entertainment industry that I find spreads— whether it be between friends, colleagues, or even romantic partners — if they are in entertainment, there is more than likely an heir of competition, almost like there is not enough success to go around. I met someone when my career was just beginning to develop. The relationship in and of itself was toxic for other reasons, but mainly because this person made me feel like my successes were always less than his although at the time, I was objectively working more. I listened to him despite the fact that I was already a series regular on a show and consistently working with a company for content creation. I let his own personal insecurities drown out my intuition. So my advice to any woman who wants to work in this industry is to stay true to yourself and LISTEN TO YOUR GUT. Have such a strong sense of self that you cannot become a dumping ground for other people’s criticism. Let your own success drown out the noise of people who don’t feel great about where they are themselves. There is plenty of success to go around.”
CS: What’s one thing you hope people take away from reading your book?
AL: “I hope that people can find little bits of themselves within the pages. If my writing helps at least ONE person, then I’ve done my job. I hope that that person who is having a rough time and feeling alone can pick up my book and suddenly wipe the tears from their cheeks. I hope that my book gives them the strength to get out of bed on their darkest days and try again.”
CS: Since we’re Celeb Secrets, do you have any behind-the-scenes secrets from making your book that we wouldn’t know when reading it?
AL: “Not really, but the section about ‘running on nothing but caffeine and dreams at this point’ is exactly how I would feel running to auditions half asleep and being very VERY stressed. I think people don’t realize that I use humor a lot of the time to deal with the seriousness of what’s going on around me and I hope that some of that comes across in the writing.”
CS: Do you have any other upcoming projects or roles that we should be on the lookout for? Do you plan on writing other books in the future?
AL: “So I recently moved to New York City full time, which may in and of itself inspire me to write another book with a whole different perspective. I myself would be interested to see how that would unfold, but I just did a show for HBO Max which was cool. I also filmed Spielberg’s West Side Story two whole years ago before COVID. It was finally released this past December which was exciting! I still act and model and have been actively auditioning. For now, I am enjoying where life takes me. There have even been a few screenwriters and producers who have surprisingly reached out in hopes of maybe adapting my book for the screen… I am open to it and hopeful that I will find the right voice for my story.”
